B2D327

This week’s pick ups: the X-Men 101 seems to have been banged pretty hard due to some staining on the back cover but I will be cracking the slab to see what I can do about it. Both Thor 225s look promising too.

I think I know EXACTLY who you’re talking about: https://www.ebay.com/itm/324339597810 reported when he’d posted an FF #48 which has since disappeared but he has a few other keys listed that might not be so obvious as the GSX 1 that isn’t squarebound but the others may find their way to an unsuspecting or unscrupulous market depending on the quality

Take Marvel Age #12 and #17

That’s a big flaw that could drop it 3-4 points on a blue label but a higher grade on a green label with the flaw noted

I’ve seen this example with a qualified green label 9.0 Daredevil 158 with a detached cover

Still a treasure worth owning in any grade 👍

That’s just....wow 😳 I was thinking something way less obvious since part of the inspection is done with a jeweler’s loupe where it might not have been so visible to the naked eye but that’s rather extreme. I can see that happening if the book is moist from trying to introduce some hydration and then pressing under a textured surface but in any case, that’s a horrible result. I wonder if they thought, “holy spoon, I’d better leave this alone” or “meh, good enough”

True, which is why I said “may”, but good practice is not taking that chance in the first place where you could potentially make things worse. 😉

Interesting but pretty time consuming technique for such a badly damaged book. I can see where it would be a great improvement on a lesser affected cover but there’s “more than one way to skin a cat” as effectively and in less time. I do like that he also does it for the fun of experimenting too. I can relate

Greed most likely. A high grade double cover is a rarity that fetches quite the premium over a regular copy. Using the right key words in the description is a good way to lure potential buyers to get their hands on it

Those can definitely be pressed out but the dirt may be embedded from the last presser not cleaning the book first. I can see an improvement in the book though if done properly

Maybe they gave the owner the option of a purple label for the staple replacement or green for marrying the 2nd cover so they chose the lesser of the reselling evils

Congrats! Can’t imagine the anxiety you felt when it arrived before you opened it and found everything ok. The sigh of relief must’ve been deafening

Your mutant ability to create a dot by Bronze Age price tags is manifesting

Amazing books. Glwts!

There are extra steps to pressing a book like SS #4, it being a square bound book and having it’s staples in a spot that can actually do damage to the cover if not done properly. If the book became wavy after being slabbed due to improper storage the grade would change and having it pressed by a knowledgeable person would be a good idea but won’t guarantee you the same grade. If it was given that grade with the waviness, you should look up the graders notes to see what flaws they found to determine what can be improved and base your decision on that.

The payment methods are there for your protection. I personally have added the 3% when buying just for peace of mind. It only takes one bad transaction to fill you with regret.

Some pressers like myself do what’s called “fanning” after completing the pressing process to avoid that stiff look and give the comic that, shall we call it “body” (kind of like washed hair). It airs out the pages so they’re not so stiff or stuck together. Other pressers will just want to flatten a book and kind of overdo it.

Would definitely keep it from grading any higher than 9.2/4 if the rest of the book were near flawless I’d guess. Folding the excess paper back would keep the book from laying perfectly flat and grader note would probably point out really small flaws because of it

Maybe some residual oil from the paper mill that’s soaked into the fibers during the manufacturing process. Possible acid contamination. Since it’s a different paper used for the cover it probably happened before printing is my guess

A couple of pickups before the end of the week

🎶 your milkshake brings all the boys to the yard 🎵

My older brother used to press his comics with a regular steam iron in the late 60s/early 70s; not saying he pioneered it but it was something he and his collector friends would do

@kav just for your daily “pet peeve” 🤣

I lived on 187th, around 1980s...small world